EBARA-BALLARD, Delivered New Residential Fuel Cell Cogeneration Systems for Just-Before Mass-Production Experiment

EBARA-BALLARD Corporation started to deliver new residential fuel cell cogeneration systems (ENEFARM) for the large-scale demonstration test under execution, from the Fujisawa factory in Fujisawa city, Kanagawa prefecture.
The FC cogeneration systems are designed and manufactured while envisioning that the residential FC market will be effective in 2009 (next year).
The new FC cogeneration system is improved to practical levels.
The endurance time of the cogeneration system is about 10 years.
The price of the cogenerator is about 120 man-yen (man-yen = 1,000,000 yen, 1 USD = about 92 yen on 2008.12.5 11:16).
The FC cogeneration system is sufficiently practical for general homes if the government subsidy and the long-term loan are used, I think.
Have some of major conditions to raise the initial market already been satisfied?
Current social and economical environment, including CO2 reduction and domestic demand boosting, will encourage creation and expansion of the fuel cell market, I believe.
For the subsidy, the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy has got down to brass tacks.
Noise generated during power generation and the unit size were remarkably lowered and reduced.
From the data accumulated through the long-time continued demonstration test , it is taught that the amount of gas consumption is somewhat increased, but the amount of electric consumption is reduced to 1/2 to 1/3.
The company sets the sales target at about 10 % of 3 million households (per year), which replace water heaters, and plans to sell several tens thousands units in 2011.
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